Alternative Private Equity Strategies

Jeff Zanarini
Managing Director, H.I.G. Capital

Jeff has twenty years of M&A/advisory experience, working with firms ranging from mid-market, privately-held organizations to multi-national public organizations. He is responsible for investment origination, transaction negotiation, and portfolio company oversight. Jeff currently serves on the board of directors of several H.I.G. companies, and has led numerous LBO transactions with a focus on oilfield/business services, manufacturing and commodity-based enterprises.

Prior to joining H.I.G., Jeff was with Bain & Company, a leading management consulting firm. While at Bain, Jeff devised corporate growth strategies and directed diligence efforts for leading private equity investors, helping to improve investment returns. He also has significant experience in the successful implementation of operational improvement strategies with private equity portfolio companies. Previously, Jeff also worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.

Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Southern Methodist University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

John Hatherly
Founder and Managing Partner, Wynnchurch Capital

John Hatherly founded Wynnchurch Capital in 1999. Prior to founding Wynnchurch, Mr. Hatherly enjoyed a 12 year career as a senior executive at GE Capital's Merchant Banking Group. Before GE Capital, Mr. Hatherly spent three years in banking with the First National Bank of Chicago and BankOne. Mr. Hatherly has played a lead role in more than 150 investments totaling over $12 billion to include acquisitions, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth, project finance and leasing. He serves on the Board of Directors of Calyx Transportation Holdings Inc., DTMP Holdings Co., SafeWorks Holdings, Inc., Surepoint Holdings, Inc., Vista Acquisition Company, Inc., Wolverine Automotive Holdings, Inc. and the Children's Memorial Hospital Foundation. Mr. Hatherly holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Mark DiSalvo
President and CEO of Semaphore

Mark S. DiSalvo is the President and CEO of Sema4 Inc., dba Semaphore, (www.sema4usa.com) a leading global professional services provider of Private Equity funds-under-management. He has been a senior executive and entrepreneur at international companies such as Euromoney Institutional Investor and Fairfield Whitney, and was founder of Hall, Berwick and DiSalvo where he provided funding and management advisory services to zero and first stage entities prior to founding Semaphore. Mark has extensive experience in Private Equity, entrepreneurial management, and emerging market strategy, particularly as to underserved markets and economic development.

Semaphore currently holds fiduciary obligations as General Partner or Fund Manager for seven Private Equity funds, operates a New Markets Tax Credit program and advises General and Limited Partners around the world. Semaphore’s corporate headquarters are in Boston with principal offices in New York, London and Dallas.

A frequent speaker at worldwide industry conferences, he is a charter member of the Inner City Economic Forum. Mr. DiSalvo was educated at the University of Massachusetts with graduate degrees in Political Studies and Economics and has earned the professional designations CPC and CTA. He is a long-time lecturer at the Johnson School of Business at Cornell University in its full-time MBA program where he contributes case studies in emerging market economics, management and cross-border M&A.

Mr. DiSalvo has served as a municipal and countywide elected official and is currently the Town Moderator in his hometown. He is an active participant in state and national politics, and was elected a member of the Electoral College in 1996. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Politics, a Presidential appointee to the US Small Business Administration Advisory Board and sits on the Board of Directors of several corporations and non-profit institutions.

Rahul Sawhney
Senior Managing Director , Z Capital Partners

Mr. Sawhney is a Senior Managing Director of Z Capital and is a member of the Investment Team. Mr. Sawhney has generated substantial returns through over $1 billion of investments in non-investment grade companies and has significant experience within the middle-market. Mr. Sawhney was actively involved in the restructurings of and/or is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Focus Products Group, LLC, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Neways Holdings, Ltd, and MSDP Group, LLC.

Prior to joining Z Capital, Mr. Sawhney was a member of the investment team at BDCM, where he made and managed investments in non–investment grade companies across a number of industries including automotive, consumer products, containers & packaging, metals & mining and technology.

Mr. Sawhney joined BDCM in April 2005 from JPMorgan Chase & Co. (“JPM”), where he was a Vice President, with significant credit and restructuring experience. Mr. Sawhney started his nine-year tenure at JPM and predecessor organizations within corporate risk management, where his responsibilities included analyzing and managing balance sheet risk imposed by the bank’s distressed asset portfolio. Mr. Sawhney was subsequently recruited to the debt capital markets and managed assets (distressed debt) groups.

Mr. Sawhney received his Bachelor of Technology in Electronics & Communications Engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology, India, and a Master of Business Administration degree with honors from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the CFA Institute and the Turnaround Management Association.